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Wireless RS485 Communication Via Zigbee Mesh Network

Modified on: Wed, 8 Jun, 2016 at 11:40 AM

In circumstances where a hardwired connection between the meter(s) and a communication device is not possible, you can use 485Bee radios to wirelessly communicate between the two. It takes at least two 485Bee units in order to set up this type of communication. You can also add more 485Bee nodes to create what is called a mesh network. This allows meters, or strings of daisy chained meters, to all communicate back to a single communication device. The wireless connection can also hop across multiple nodes to extend the range of the mesh network. The diagram below show a mesh network with three nodes. In this case they are connected to v.4 Omnimeters, reading water meters, but the 485Bee will connect to any Omnimeter Model (v.3 or v.4) and any of our communication devices (EKM Push, EKM Blink, iSerial).

Each 485Bee can connect to between 1 and 256 Omnimeters. You can have an unlimited number of 485Bees in a mesh network. Each 485Bee acts as an RS-485 communication master and as signal boosting node in the mesh network. You can also use intermediate 485Bees as signal boosters which can be either connected or not connected to Omnimeters. The data signal from a meter connected to the wireless mesh can make multiple wireless hops back to the Push.

These are truly plug and play. Connect the 485Bee to 6 VDC to 42 VDC power and connect it to RS485 and it will automatically create a wireless mesh network with other 485Bee nodes that are in range.